The GOP’s Big Oops!

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There seems to be a little buyer’s remorse spreading around the Republican Party these days. The very same people who only recently pledged their support to the #nevertrump movement and ultimately came around to voice their support for Trump are now once again wavering on that support. In poll after poll the Republican base supports Trump without equivocation-it is clear that they consider him their man. So what is it that is causing the Party leadership and elected officials such heartburn? Why are they on such a different wavelength than their constituents? What about Trump is such a problem for them?

The fact is that these people have a problem not with the substance coming out of Trump’s mouth, but rather the style. Trump is like the uncle who you see at your table every Thanksgiving that you can depend on to say the wrong thing. Often it’s not so much the substance of what he says that is a problem, it is rather the fact that he says it out loud and with passion. As we have all learned, there are things that should not be said in “polite company”. While we may agree with them, it is just bad manners to say it out loud. Trump is no more or less a racist than his Republican brothers and sisters. The difference is that there is no subtlety in his comments. He hasn’t yet learned how to use the dog whistle. He doesn’t know the code words that allow for bigotry in polite company. In his world words are more important than actions, in their world actions speak for the words. They object to his blustery bombast. They want him to be more Presidential and speak with subtlety and ambiguity.

One might ask why should his style concern them if the Republican base approves and supports him? They have been building to this moment for decades. As the Republican Party moved further and further to the right it attracted supporters that moved right along with them. This is more apparent on the local and state level than on the national level, but it is an undeniable fact. Their attempts at voter suppression laws, and attitudes on abortion, immigration and climate change as well as their approach to public education shows just how far to the right the Republicans have shifted. Of course the rational for these laws are cleverly stated to avoid claims of bigotry. For example, Republicans would have us believe that voter suppression laws passed around the country are to protect us from voter fraud. The closing of women’s health clinics around the country is to protect the health of women. Finally let us not forget that the additional tax cuts provided the most wealthy are to enable them to create jobs. To describe these actions in any other way if you are a Republican is just not acceptable. It is not done in polite company. Trump simply has not learned how to be a good Republican.

While his crowds love his no frills direct bombast, it offends the sensibilities of the Party leadership. But is it really their sensibilities that are offended? Not really. What it really offends is their hope of holding on to their majority in the Senate, their huge majority in the House, holding a conservative advantage on the Supreme Court or winning the White House. They rightly recognize that in order for Trump to win he must make up for his inability to attract the minority and women’s vote by pulling a majority of independents and some Hillary haters from the Democrats. If he continues on his current path the chances of achieving this are somewhere between nil and none. When they talk about him being more Presidential they are referring to style not substance. They are simply afraid that if Trump continues to speak in such stark terms that the curtain will be pulled and we will all see the Republican Party for what it really is, elitist, anti-immigration, anti-worker, anti-women, anti-science, anti-government, anti-equality and pro-gun. KEEP GOING DONALD, PULL THAT CURTAIN WIDE OPEN SO THAT ALL CAN SEE THE TRUTH!